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Friday, April 11, 2008

It's A Nice Day For A Black Wedding

The black wedding dress!Once again the Paris Runway is shocking the world. Paris the Fairy-Godmother of fashion has given you the OK to wear black. Maybe it’s symptomatic of our culture and maybe it’s just slimming.I’m sure that when you read the headline you gasped and then when you saw the photos you paused. “Those are beautiful dresses. Can I really wear that?” I don’t know, can you? It is after all YOUR WEDDING. (Don’t tell your mom) You decide what to wear, and what to do.As always you should consider your wedding style, your site and your juncture (time, date, season, etc.).Black dresses are more suited to ultra-modern, formal, artsy celebrations. They are more suited to evening and they are more suited to winter. Think art gallery December not garden in April.What about etiquette? What will people say? What does it mean?There is some etiquette that is timeless and some that should go. (Don’t ask “does anyone have reason that these two should not be married”, because you don’t really want your Aunt Milda to finally decide to tell you she doesn’t really approve.)Grooms wear black. It’s timeless. It’s handsome. I always think a white tuxedo looks odd. Is it because I’m used to men wearing dark tuxedos? Maybe, and maybe black suits a body frame better and complements skin tone better. Although white doesn’t suit most skin tones, today’s wedding dress makers offer a variety of shades of white to suit your skin tone. Pick any color that suits you; champagne, white and pink (Gwen Stefani did), gold, black.Traditionally brides have worn white because it has been a symbol of joyous celebration since early Roman times. At the beginning to the twentieth century, white stood for purity as well. Today, it holds it original meaning of happiness and joy.Pick a dress you love. One you don’t want to take off. The store should have to tell you its closing time.Pick a dress that screams joy. It should suit your occasion.Worry less about what people think.Some more resources:Wedding DNAhas addressed your etiquette questions about the little black dress…The Power of BlackThis is power of black. Black is independent, fearless of society's reprimands, grounded in a species of strength that may only come forth from within. And when is such strength more necessary for any woman than on the day of her wedding? Now that we have somewhat dispelled the ancient myths of black, let us consider the various possibilities of its use. A formal, floor length evening gown is always stunning in black. It may be a sleek, body-hugging silhouette of chiffon or silk, or a two piece princess gown, complete with ball gown skirt and strapless, beaded corset. This sort of dress is ideal for an after five event. However, if you wish to wear black to a daytime affair, lighten it up with a tea-length skirt and sash of baby pink or blue. Trim in this same pink or blue would also work, as would a touch of pale yellow here and there; a wide ribbon around waist, perhaps, or color in the form of flowers worn in the hair and across the line of the bust would do nicely.Even Emily Post has new dress etiquette for guests attireOld- Guests shouldn’t wear white or black to a wedding.New- You can wear white as long as it doesn’t look like a wedding dress: it’s the bride’s day. If you wear black, it should look like you are attending wedding, not a funeral. Also consider: time of day, location, and any rules of attired specified by religion (for example, bare shoulders or too much cleavage or leg showing).See the rest of the story here… or read more about Paris weddings at http://www.parisianevents.com/parisianparty/